After a wild weekend in Men’s Basketball that saw two of the top teams ousted, the Final Four is set for the OCAA Men’s Basketball Championships at Algonquin.

Algonquin defeated Sheridan 72-71
The Algonquin Thunder earned the chance to win the OCAA Championship on their home court next weekend as they knocked off the defending champions from Sheridan 72-71.

Sheridan held a 32-31 lead at the half, but were unable to slow down Charly Spurr in the as he scored 13 of his game high 23 in the second half.

With Algonquin in front 70-69, a Sheridan foul put Algonquin at the free throw for a one and one with 37.3 seconds left. On the front end of the effort, the ball hit back rim and bounced against the backboard before finally settling into the hands of an Algonquin forward who banked it off the glass from close range to extend the lead to 72-69.

Following a scoreless possession and a foul, the Bruins were staring defeat straight in the eye but were given new life after a pair of missed free throws kept them within three with only 12 seconds remaining. Tab Donaldson pushed the ball up left side of the floor and found Sheldon Sinclair in the corner in front of the Bruins bench.

Sinclair’s three-point attempt sailed long hitting the back rim and eventually finding Jelani Matthew, who also missed. In the scramble to gain control of the rebound Matt Cosby tipped the ball into Algonquin’s net to pull within one, but with only 0.3 seconds remaining on the clock, the Bruins were powerless to even attempt an equalizer.

The Thunder are coming off a successful year as they finished the regular season with a 18-2 record and the number two ranking in the province. Algonquin will be looking to improve on their performance at last years Championship were they bowed out in the first round to the eventual champions from Sheridan.

(with files from www.sheridanbruins.com)

How Algonquin got to the Final Four:
Finished first in the East with an 18-2 record, earning a first round bye.
Defeated Sheridan 72-71 in the Quarterfinals.

Humber defeated Fleming 96-88
The top ranked team in the OCAA from Humber earned their way to the OCAA Championships with a 96-88 win over the Fleming Knights. Humber came into the game knowing that Fleming would score early and often. The Hawks, known for their defence displayed their offence in the first half as they poured in a season high 55 points to take a 55-45 lead into the dressing room.

In the second half, Fleming tried to close the gap, but could only get as close as four points, late in the game. Great defensive plays late in the game by Humber captain Jadwey Hemmings turned out to be the difference as the Hawks soared to the eight point victory.

Akeem Sween and Daviau Rodney led the Hawks with 18 each while three other Hawks scored in double figures. Jovain Wilson of Fleming scored a game high 32 points in a losing effort.

This win was the Hawks sixteenth in a row, as they have not been beaten since early November. Humber finished the regular season with 16-2 and are ranked first in the OCAA Men’s Basketball rankings.

(with files from http://athletics.humber.ca/index_1.htm)

How Humber got to the Final Four:
Finished first in the West with a 16-2 record, earning a first round bye.
Defeated Fleming 96-88 in the Quarterfinals.

Niagara defeated St. Lawrence Kingston 57-56
The Niagara Knights won their biggest road game of the year, with a 57-56 win over the St. Lawrence College Vikings in Kingston on Saturday.

With less than a minute remaining in the game and the Knights down by one, Nick Fadayel (Ancaster, Ont.) would get a key steal that would lead to a Vikings foul on his lay-up attempt. Fadayel would go to the line and sink both free throws to give the Knights a one point lead. With less than three seconds left in the game, the Vikings would miss a game winning shot giving the Knights a birth into the OCAA Final Four Championships in Ottawa on March 6th and 7th.

Fadayel, a third-year Forward, led all scorers with 22 points. Freshman Arny N’Kindu (Hamilton, Ont.) and Sophomore Jeremy Settimi (Hamilton, Ont.) would add 12 and 8 points respectively. Viking Mathieu Riendeau scored 19 points in a losing effort.

Niagara finished the regular season with a 14-4 record and third place in the West. The Knights have been ranked in the top five consistently through out the year and made a brief appearance at number one in week eight.
(with files from http://www.niagaraknights.ca/)

How Niagara got to the Final Four:
Finished third in the West with a 14-4 record.
Defeated George Brown 73-62 in the Qualifying Game
Defeated St. Lawrence 57-56 in the Quarterfinals.

Algoma defeated Fanshawe 69-62
After sneaking into the playoff as the sixth seed in the West with a 9-9 record, the Algoma Thunderbirds knocked off the favoured Fanshawe Falcons to earn themselves a spot in the OCAA semi-final.

After falling victim twice to the Falcons in the regular season by a combined total of 43 points, the Thunderbirds put it together when it mattered earning the 69-62 win over the Falcons.

The Algoma squad was led by the shooting of O’Brian Wallace who hit four from behind the arc for a game high of 20 points in the win. Thunderbirds, Vyron Phillips, Dele Oworu and Patrick Murray also scored in double figures in the win. The Falcons were lead by Jordan Dixon who put up 18 points in a losing effort.

This is the second straight year the Thunderbirds have put on the glass slipper during the OCAA Playoffs. Last year after finishing fourth in the West with an 11-7 record, Algoma earned themselves a spot in the OCAA Championship game where they fell to the Sheridan Bruins.

How Algoma got to the Final Four:
Finished sixth in the West with a 9-9 record.
Defeated Durham 91-87 in the Qualifying Game
Defeated Fanshawe 69-62 in the Quarterfinals.

OCAA Championship Match ups.
Algoma vs. Algonquin
Niagara vs. Humber